Mercury Pollution

3. The EPA “safe dose” for mercury is 1,100 ppb (parts per billion) for women in their child-bearing years, as mercury levels above this value may impair neurological development in the fetus. Which

Mercury is another toxic pollutant that may be found in the tailings and in the surface and ground water supplies of the Silver Bow Creek area. While mercury is

The very chemicals that are used to treat our water to kills deadly toxins are the same chemicals that can pose health problems when digested for a period of time (EPA 2013). For instance, excessive consumption of fluoride over a lifetime may lead to increased likelihood of bone fractures in adults, and tooth enamel pits in young children. Lead consumption leads to physical and mental development in children and mercury consumption leads to kidney damage. (Birmingham Water Works).

The Wabigoon – English River in Ontario has been contaminated with mercury for about 40 years now and the government has not approached this issue that affects most of the people of Grassy Narrows First Nation. A majority of the community has mercury poisoning, which could be fatal. Additionally, residents are forced to continue to consume contaminated food. In the 1970s, the government let the river to naturally recover itself and said that it would be better than any attempts to clean it, however, it has only gotten worse. Now, the government says that they do not want to attempt to clean the water until they are completely sure that it will not make the situation worse. Recently, scientists have suggested several solutions that have been successful in the past, but it is still unknown as to when the government will clean the water.

Wrangell-St Elias is one in four Alaskan national parks that tested positive for mercury. In some cases the levels exceeded the State of Alaska’s human consumption levels of mercury for women and children. The test was part of a multi-year U.S. geological survey and study of fish in high elevation lakes and streams. Mercury was found in all fish and can be harmful to other fish, wildlife, humans etc. The mercury was found in fish in Copper, Tanada, and Summit Lakes. Consuming high amounts of mercury can damage developing brains in babies and

Additionally, the effect of mining rocks is clear all over the world. For instance, according to the book, ‘The Amazon Gold Rush and Environmental Mercury Contamination,” the author mentions mercury contamination of waterways in the Amazon around gold mines. The problem is the extensive effluent that is discharged into the rivers and streams. The effect on marine life can be deleterious. The importance of the Amazon area to sustain the global equilibrium in the environment has been recognized worldwide. This has been much more accentuated in the present days due to the intense debate related to global warming. Consequently, all initiatives or studies directed to a better knowledge and management of that huge environment are welcome and needed.

There are three different chemical forms that mercury exists in and each has a specific effect on human health, however for the purpose of this paper only two will be talked about. The first is elemental mercury (Hg), which also called metallic mercury. In this form the primary health effect is when it is breathes as vapor where it can be absorbed through the lungs. Symptoms of this kind include tremors, emotional changes, insomnia, neuromuscular changes, headaches, disturbances in sensations, changes in nerve responses, and performance deficits on tests of cognitive functions. At higher doses there can be kidney effects, respiratory failure, and even death. In this form it is emitted into the air from coal-fired power plants, waste incinerators, smelting plants, which is by far the leading man-made source of mercury in the Great Lakes. It is released into the air and transported by air currents and will eventually fall and be deposited in soil or water. This is particularly important to the people living in Michigan because in Detroit the mercury found in rain has been

But the more I learned about the dangers of mercury, the more—like William Blake’s “Tyger! Tyger! burning bright”—its destructive beauty attracted me. Over the years, my parents redecorated their kitchen and took down the shelf with the mug and teddy bear, but they kept the knickknacks together in a cardboard box. On a

Karen Nelson, Neuroepidemiology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; and Margaret Bauman, Children’s Neurology Service, Harvard Medical School conducted a study on neuropathology of mercury toxicity. Nelson and Bauman asserted ethylmercury lacks the active transport mechanism across the blood-brain barrier that other found available to methylmercury however; they provided no evidence to support this assertion. The L system is the major transport

It's very important to find ways to minimize your exposure to heavy metals and use proper naturopathic services in Arizona to remove it from your body. You can seek integrative medicine treatments from an Arizona clinic, such as ozone and chelation

As already stated, many other locations around the world are affected by mercury poisoning and contamination. For example, Canada and Japan have an extensive history of mercury poisoning, including neurologic symptoms and contaminated fish. These studies have has been documented since the 1950’s in these locations. In fact, the contamination became so problematic the Ontario health department formed a task force on organic mercury in 1972. Further, recent protesting throughout Toronto has asked for Canada to address the contamination of mercury. Findings revealed levels of mercury exceeding those of international standards and included the highest recorded mercury contamination among in the western part of the world. (CITE 6)

Another claim anti-vaxxers make is that vaccines contain mercury which is toxic to humans (Ross, np). Thimerosal, which was in multi-dose vaccines to prevent bacteria growth, did in fact contain traces of mercury (Ross, np) (CDC, np). However, there are two types of mercury: methylmercury and ethylmercury (CDC, np). Methylmercury, which is found in some kinds of fish, is toxic to humans in high doses, while ethylmercury is cleaned out of the body rapidly and is less likely to cause any harm, especially at low doses (CDC, np). Thimerosal contained a very low dose of ethylmercury, and studies showed it would not be toxic to humans, aside from some minor side effects such as redness or swelling after injection (CDC, np). Even so, the FDA decided to remove thimerosal from vaccines back in 2001 (Ross, np).

Often, toxic substances are being drained into the air, waterways, and undergrounds wells. According to the report by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 60 million pounds of deadly chemicals are produced by industries in Florida. Notably, Florida’s water has been suffering mercury contamination until the state’s department of migration issues a circular regularly for regulations of eating freshwater fish in the region (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). In fact, such metals emanate from coal combustion’s emissions which run into water bodies. Not to mention, pesticides and herbicides utilized by government and homeowners pollute the environment (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). Indeed, all chemicals released into the atmosphere find themselves in rivers.

The health hazards for humans who come in contact with contaminants from exposure to polluted water can have long term effects on the body causing possible organ failure and death. Contaminants and chemicals such lead and mercury can bring about many minor illnesses ranging from nausea, lung irritation, skin rash, vomiting, and dizziness, to the major diseases that include cancer, liver and kidney damage, disorders of the nervous system, damage to the immune system, birth defects and even death.

The people with the most risk of damage by mercury are unborn fetuses and children. Studies seem to show that the metal